


Love is Love is Love

by boundingthroughtime



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Marauders' Era, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-03 18:48:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10254974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boundingthroughtime/pseuds/boundingthroughtime
Summary: In 1971, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew begin their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The rest is history.This is the the story of the Marauders. From beginning to end.





	1. Untamed Youth With A Cloak Full of Eagles

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first ever fic so sorry if there are lots of mistakes. I've been sitting on it for so long and just decided I needed to get on with it at some point :) If everything goes to plan it could be pretty long eventually. Thanks for reading!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marc Bolan and the Sorting Hat are equal in importance.

The year was 1971.

 

 _Get It On_ by T-Rex had topped the Muggle music charts all summer.

 

For a young wizard called Sirius Black, everything was about to change.

 

The first ten years of Sirius’ life had been full of certainty. His family was wealthy, pureblood, old and aristocratic. He had been brought up in the knowledge that his name alone could get him anywhere he wanted to go in life. Equally, he knew that Muggle-borns, blood traitors and Muggle sympathizers were an ugly wart on the face wizard kind.

And truly it would have been easy to keep believing this – to take his parents’ prejudice as fact – had it not been for a single, simple event one day that July. A refrain, clear and wonderful, drifting through the open door of a record shop one summer’s afternoon as he roamed the streets of London.

The world had changed, right there on the grimy pavement.

A springing, popping melody; the chugging of guitar, the irresistible beat, the dreamy voice, the intoxicating combination of words that made no sense to Sirius. He was entranced, as if caught up in a spell. Yet there was no spell here. The shop was a Muggle shop. The music was Muggle music.

No one had ever told him that Muggles could make anything like this – nothing this brilliant, this fun, this _cool._

Though the eleven-year-old Sirius did not have words for the sensation yet, the music was appealing to the spirit of rebellion blossoming within him. Truth be told, a creeping, nameless discomfort had been gnawing at him for some time. He knew he was not like his parents or his brother, for his family’s impressive heritage brought him neither joy nor pride. His priorities were more playful, and his instincts for right and wrong were not aligned with theirs.

Over the next few days, Sirius had forced the family house-elf to secure a Muggle radio and stow it in his bedroom. He spent hours sitting in front of it, twiddling the knobs and learning how to find the song which obsessed him. He did not care if his parents or whiny baby brother found out. He resented them for lying to him. Before now he had been led to believe that Muggles did nothing of any use or worth. How wrong he had been. How cruel and ignorant and unjust of his parents to lie.

   So now, on the night before he was due to take the Hogwart’s Express for the very first time, Sirius knew the kind of wizard he wanted to become, and the kind he wanted to avoid being at all costs. He was escaping his home. Escaping the grave-looking ancestors peering down at him, tutting about his untidiness, and the formal dinners eaten silently in the dim dining room. Escaping the constant rambling of his mother, who could not last five minutes without raging at the ‘decline of pureblood pride’ or other things that Sirius now firmly believed were nonsense. He was escaping them all at last.  

The year was 1971, and nothing would ever be the same again.

 ---------------------------------------------

 

Remus Lupin was walking along the carriages of the Hogwarts Express, already dressed in the second-hand school robes his parents had bought for him. Almost everyone else had found a seat by now, but he knew no one at all and besides, he was far too excited to sit still.

          Hogwarts, once so impossibly distant, was now mere hours away. The knowledge made his heart fly. Everything seemed exceptionally wonderful, from the laughter drifting from various train compartments to the deep, steady thunder of the tracks beneath them, to the sparkling emerald scenery sweeping past the window as they sped on and on.

As he walked, a compartment door ahead of him flew open. A girl with dark red hair rushed out, followed closely by a pale boy with long black hair who, like Remus, was already wearing his school robes. Oddly they both looked upset.

‘So horrible, Sev, don’t listen to them, they’re just being stupid, showing off. Of course it doesn’t matter what house you’re in. We’ll be friends whatever happens.’ Remus felt immediately that this was a conversation he should not be listening to, but there was nowhere else to go.

‘Do you really think so?’ There was an uncomfortable edge of desperation in the boy’s voice.

‘Always.’ The girl said firmly, meeting the boy’s gaze with determination.

‘Um, excuse me.’ Remus mumbled, trying to edge past the pair without drawing attention to himself.

‘Oh sorry.’ Said the girl, absent-mindedly, and then she looked up into Remus’ face and smiled. ‘Hey, I think I saw you on the platform. You went through the barrier just before I did.’

‘Oh.’ Said Remus, embarrassed that he had not recognized her and very aware of the displeasure radiating off her friend.

‘Is this your first year?’ She asked, not discouraged.

‘Um, yes.’

‘Oh good, us too. I can’t wait till we get there. I’m the first Witch in my family but Sev’s told me loads of stuff about Hogwarts.’

‘Have you got brothers and sisters?’ Remus asked the boy, feeling his cold stare and trying to make amends for interrupting their conversation.

‘No. Only my mother.’ Answered the boy curtly.

‘Oh…’ Remus attempted once more to sidle past the pair, sensing the discomfort which had sprung up between himself and the other boy.

‘Where are you sitting?’ Asked the girl, apparently oblivious.

‘Well, um, I don’t know yet.’ Remus admitted.

‘We’re going to look for seats now, you should come with us.’

‘Oh, uh, I don’t…’ Remus glanced again at the black-haired boy. His displeasure was written clearly in his dark eyes, but he said nothing. Remus worried that the girl hadn’t realized her friend didn’t want him around, and he wondered what exactly had happened before they’d left the compartment.

‘Don’t be silly, come with us.’ The girl took Remus’ arm and began to walk with him along the carriage. ‘I’m Lily, by the way, Lily Evans, and this is my friend Severus Snape.’

‘My name’s Remus Lupin.’

‘Nice to meet you, Remus. Sev, do keep up and ah! There are some seats.’ She knocked tentatively on the glass door of a compartment which was empty except for two students. They looked older, and were still dressed in their normal clothes, but they smiled welcomingly.

‘First years?’ Asked the older boy as they entered the compartment.

‘Yes.’ Answered Lily brightly.

‘Thought so. They get smaller every year don’t they, Alice?’

‘Don’t be mean, Frank.’ The girl chided, though his tone had been kind enough. Remus thought they were probably a few years older, perhaps in their fifth year. As they settled into their seats (Severus positioned as far away from Remus as it was possible to get in the confines of the compartment), Remus felt the excitement bubbling up again in his chest despite himself. Did it really matter if one boy had taken against him? There was plenty of time to make amends. And that reminded him…

‘Anyone want some chocolate?’ He asked, producing a large bar from the pocket of his robes. It had been a going away present from his parents, but he thought it might serve to prove he was not such a bad person after all. Hogwarts was getting closer by the minute, and at that moment he felt that once he arrived nothing could possibly go wrong.

\------------------------------ 

Sirius was among the very first to join the Gryffindor table. It would not be an overstatement to say he was in shock. He was deaf to the cheers of the students and as he slowly came back to himself, and felt a warm giddiness spread through him.

_Gryffindor._

Despite his bravado on the train, he could not believe it had really happened, that the red and gold surrounding him was not about to shift to silver and green ( _not Slytherin_ , why had no one told him the hat actually listened?). He was thrilled that his parents would be furious with him – would they even believe him? He could hardly stop himself from jumping up on the table and dancing with joy. It took several minutes before his racing heart began to slow. No one had joined the Gryffindor table since him, and he watched – satisfaction still rushing through his body – as a girl took her place on the stool and was immediately declared a Gryffindor. As she approached, Sirius realized that she was the same girl who had been sitting with the pale boy before they had stormed out of the compartment.

She took one look at Sirius, recognized him, and seemed to decide she wanted nothing to do with him. More amused than anything (nothing could crush his joy in that moment) he turned to watch the next student put on the hat. Two more joined Gryffindor that Sirius had not seen before, both of them girls. Sirius was starting to wonder if he was going to be alone in his dormitory that night when finally a small, thin boy was sorted and came to join them. His name was Remus Lupin. He seemed nervous but incredibly happy, and kept glancing around the Great Hall as if he couldn’t believe he was actually there, grinning at the delicate crescent of silver moon that seemed to be suspended above the candles in the night-sky ceiling. He murmured a quick hello to Sirius as he sat down opposite, before turning to concentrate on the next sorting.

The next two boys sorted into Gryffindor came one after the other – Pettigrew then Potter. The hat deliberated for a full five minutes over Pettigrew, whose nerves were clearly frayed by the ordeal, and after scuttling into his seat nearly jumped out of his skin when an older boy patted him on the back. Sirius was barely containing himself either, but liked to think he was doing a better job at hiding it. Potter, on the other hand, grinned as he approached the table, shook hands with Pettigrew, with whom he had been queuing for the hat, and nodded to the others, with a particular glow of interest when his eyes settled on the red-headed girl next to Sirius. Lily something? Ellis? Edwards? He grinned delightedly at Sirius.

‘Avoided Slytherin after all then? Good work.’

Sirius could feel Lily stiffen at his side. She shot James an irritable look, her lips pressed firmly together.

Slowly, steadily, the tables were filling up and the queue of first-years grew shorter and shorter. To his left, Lily was rather tense and quiet considering she had been sorted into – in Sirius’ humble opinion – the only house worth being in. Sirius noticed her chewing on her nails as the queue dwindled. When the name _Severus Snape_ was called, her head snapped up, bright green eyes keen. Sirius watched as the hat was lowered onto the head of a slender boy with shoulder-length black hair and pale skin. It was neither an especially long, nor an especially short amount of time before the hat cried out ‘Slytherin’ though to Lily, who had been holding her breath, it must have felt like an age. She made no sound when the decision was made, only seemed to deflate a little, slumping. The boy, making his way to the Slytherin table, glanced back at her. Sirius didn’t understand the look that passed between them.

‘I thought he might be in Gryffindor, but he told me he wouldn’t. Suppose he was right.’

‘Always a mistake to rule yourself out of Gryffindor.’ Said a ghost who had previously introduced himself as Sir Nicholas DeMimsy Porpington. ‘The hat knows, you see. More often than not it likes you to put up a little fight, then it knows you’re really our sort.’

Lily glanced over her shoulder again, but Severus Snape had already disappeared into the Slytherin crowd.

The food was unbelievable. Sirius had never eaten bad food, exactly, but he found sitting down to dinner with his family increasingly intolerable, and so always ate as fast as he could, the sooner to escape their company. He couldn’t remember the last time he had truly enjoyed a meal before that night. He found the meal passed in a happy blur. He was away from his parents now, away from Grimmauld Place, he was in Gryffindor, and all the people around him were smiling. It was almost too good to be true.

In his head, he began to gleefully compose a letter in which he broke the news to his parents. He was not one of them. There could be no greater proof than this.

 

\------------------------

 

   Peter Pettigrew felt almost as though he’d got away with something as he sat on his bed in the Gryffindor dormitory for the first time, though he couldn’t put his finger on why, exactly.

The three other boys were busily unpacking their trunks, and his keen eyes evaluated each of them in turn. In the bed nearest his was James Potter, one of the dark-haired boys. He was scruffy, his glasses askew, tossing handfuls of clothes onto the floor surrounding his truck as he rummaged for something at the bottom. He seemed friendly, and confident in a way that Peter could only dream of, making easy jokes with the boy on the next bed along. That boy’s name was Sirius Black. He too had dark hair, though it was less haphazard than Potter’s. He was already wearing a pair of pajamas that looked brand new. His robes had also looked new, as did his copies of their schoolbooks and all his equipment. They were young, but Peter was already beginning to map out the hierarchy of the wizarding world. Black’s name meant something. Pureblood. Money. Power. Truth be told, Peter was fascinated.

The last boy, furthest from Peter, was called Remus Lupin. He was more similar to Peter in size than the other two, and seemed a little more reserved. James and Sirius were doing their best to include him in the conversation, but he wasn’t fully engaged. Peter – already more critical and analytical than most boys his age – realized that, like himself, Remus could hardly believe he was really at Hogwarts. Whilst Peter looked on, he unpacked a mixture of Muggle and magic books and some well-worn clothes from his trunk. He must be clever, and there must be more to him than meets the eye, for the few words he did say made the other boys laugh. Peter was suddenly worried. He didn’t know what the others thought of him, but he knew he had no exceptional talents or abilities, no money like Black and no charisma like Potter. Could it really be right that he, perpetually fearful and insecure, was placed among these boys?

Just as the unpleasant thought came to him, James caught Peter’s eye and grinned. Peter did his best to summon a smile in return. He hoped he belonged here. He really, truly hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title borrowed from 'Get It On' by T.Rex


	2. Say A Few Spells and Baby There You Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A frog and a Willow.

‘Mister Potter, I can scarcely believe I need ask this but - _would you kindly remove the frog from Mister Pettigrew’s hair?_ ’

           Professor McGonnagall fixed James with her severest look of disapproval, and he reluctantly picked the frog from its comfortable nest on Peter’s head. Beside him, Sirius was laughing so hard that the only sounds he was making were wheezing breaths as he struggled for air. The frog in question had been nestled comfortably atop Peter for the past five minutes at least, and Peter kept looking round, as if someone behind him were tapping him on the back of the head. Little did he know that the culprit was not one of his fellow students. Sirius had lost all control when Peter had made to scratch his scalp, and let out a shrill scream when he encountered the slimy back of the frog instead. That had finally brought the issue to McGonnagal’s attention.

‘Thank you, Mister Potter.’ She said curtly. ‘Mister Black, please control your mirth until you have transfigured your own frog.’

Still shaking with laughter but determined to prove a point, Sirius managed to tap his frog with his wand, and it transformed instantly into a glassy emerald paperweight. McGonnagal huffed, and continued her rounds of the classroom.

All in all, James was pretty chuffed with how his first term at Hogwarts was going. To his great delight, he found did that he not need to work especially hard to keep on top of his classes, and this left him with plenty of time to spare to explore the place. James could not imagine a more fantastic building. Entirely by accident he had already discovered some useful shortcuts between his lessons, and realized that if you managed to get chatting to one of the many portraits hanging in the corridors, they were often happy to offer advice about hidden doorways, concealed staircases and trick hallways which appeared to lead somewhere but actually brought you back out to where you’d started. There was one portrait in particular by the name of Lady Elizabeth who had taken a liking to James after he complimented her honey-gold dress. She seemed delighted to be asked about the castle. He suspected that she knew even more than she was telling him – she had a knowing smile that he considered to be very promising.

Even more excellent than the castle though, was Sirius Black. From the moment they’d first set eyes on each other, James had sensed a kindred spirit, and he had been right. Sirius too found classes easy, and so was always amenable when James wanted to pass notes, pull faces or poke whoever was sitting in front of them. This was particularly entertaining if it was Severus Snape, with whom they shared several classes. Snape was easily irritated, which made him great fun, and it didn’t matter if James and Sirius were given detentions, because once they were back in their dormitory they could laugh it all off, and be ready to go again the next day. James had also taken a great liking to Remus and Peter, though they were both a little more reluctant to have fun during lessons. Still, it was only their first year and he had faith that they would come around.

Concerning the frog, Peter was a good sport. James thought he could even see a slight upturn in Remus’ mouth which was something like a smile. Of his fellow Gryffindor boys, Remus was the one James felt least connected to, though he thought this could only be expected, considering the frequent absences Remus took from school to visit his mother. James hadn’t the heart to ask exactly what was wrong with her, but he guessed it must be serious if he had to go home so often.

James’ own parents were doting, a little older than some but still in good health. They sent weekly letters to James and always included a package of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. This had led to a corresponding weekly routine where James, Sirius, Remus and Peter would sit in a circle on their dormitory floor and take a bean with their eyes closed, then chew and swallow it regardless of the flavor. James was not sure how long this would continue, however, as Sirius had complained (after an unfortunate sequence of Bogey, Cabbage, Fingernail and Armpit) that Lady Luck had set herself against him during their last game.

In truth, it did not matter to James what they were doing, as long as they were having fun. Since joining Hogwarts he was having the most fun he’d ever had in his life.

‘You coming to dinner, James?’ Peter’s voice interrupted James’ daydream. The lesson had ended and around him everyone was packing up.

‘Hope it’s frogs legs.’ Said Sirius, throwing an arm around Peter’s shoulder and surreptitiously placing a frog there. Behind them, Remus chuckled. James grinned.

‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘let’s go.’

 

\--------------------------------------------------

 

Through the diamond paned windows, the glass warped with age, Remus watched as a crowd gathered in a loose semi-circle on the lawn spreading out in front of the castle. They were all focused on a large tree, swaying slightly more than was to be expected given the total lack of breeze.

The Whomping Willow was still a great novelty to the students of Hogwarts, though of the hundreds who had noticed it, Remus alone knew why it was there. The full moon was not yet near enough that he could feel it pull at his bones and prickle under his skin, but it would not be long before he would have to make his way once more into the passageway beneath the tree, and hide himself in the shack beyond. The plan (which had been laid out in meticulous detail by Dumbledore and approved by his parents prior to his arrival) was working well. On the evening of the full moon, when all the students were safely in their dormitories, Professor McGonnagall would transform into a cat and slip past the whipping braches of the Willow to halt its attack. She always escorted Remus to his hiding place on the night of the full moon. Sometimes the spectacled tabby was still in the shack the following morning, though Remus could never remember if she had stayed through the night. In a way it was easier than being with his parents, who he knew were always worried and scared during his transformations. He liked that his fellow students didn’t know about him yet, despite the uneasy pang of guilt that came whenever he lied about where he went each month. It allowed him to forget, allowed his to feel normal for the first time in his life.

           For Remus loved his lessons, relishing in the learning above all else. He was discovering that he was reasonably good at essay-writing, at Charms, Transfiguration, and Herbology. His Defense Against the Dark Arts was a particular strength, though he had a special interest in that area, of course. He was also a passable potion-maker. He did not excel in those classes, but he was studious, and his good memory and attentiveness saw him through with respectable marks. The Potions master, Professor Slughorn, was encouraging enough, though never as exuberant as he was when presented with the efforts of more gifted students. Lily Evans was the star of their Potions class, and she had shown a natural aptitude from their very first lesson. She also worked hard, and this, Remus thought, was the primary difference between her and – for example – James Potter. It was clear that James would make a capable wizard. Irritatingly, he never tried very hard. He mucked about in lessons, especially Potions when he made it his aim to distract Evans enough that she made a mistake. He had yet to succeed in doing anything besides making her hate him. Remus did not hate James. He was a trouble-maker, it was true, but it was all gentle enough. Most people found him funny, and Remus could not disagree, especially when Sirius was around too.

           It was already obvious that James and Sirius had a lot in common. With their dark hair and mischievous grins they could almost have been brothers. They were boisterous, but Remus was growing accustomed to that, just as he was getting used to the fact that they seemed to say more to each other with their eyes than they did out loud. If Remus was a little jealous of their instantaneous friendship, he was not going to let it bother him; he was getting along with them – and with Peter – perfectly well, and that was more than he had ever dared to wish for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! This was a bit short but the next chapter will be longer :)
> 
> Chapter title stolen from 'Ride a White Swan' by T-Rex


	3. Move Like a Cat, Charge Like a Ram, Sting Like a Bee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Quidditch is played.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long! I've only got a short chapter this time but aiming to get back on track ASAP. Hope you enjoy!

By the time November arrived, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were all feeling as though they had got to grips with the castle. True, Peter was notoriously uncoordinated when it came to avoiding the trick step in the staircase, but his new friends were always on hand to free him, and on the whole the place was starting to feel familiar. Maybe even welcoming.

   Sirius and James had been excitedly discussing the first Quidditch game of the season for weeks, and anticipation among the students had been growing exponentially in the approach to the match. Peter (after a series of disastrous flying lessons) was not quite so keen as the rest, though he was careful not to show this in front of James and Sirius. When the day finally came they woke early, rousing Peter and Remus from their beds by unceremoniously yanking the blankets onto the floor.

‘No time to lose.’ Sirius grinned as Remus curled into a reluctant ball. Peter, still blinking sleepily, stumbled into his robes and watched as James and Sirius each gripped one of Remus’ feet and dragged him out of bed. After a brief struggle, they had him wrapped in a tangle of robes, and James wound a red and gold woolen scarf around Remus neck. Peter noticed that Sirius was creeping towards him, holding a scarlet hat with gold tassels. Knowing that resistance would be futile, Peter allowed Sirius to jam the hat over his head, and yawned.

‘Gryffindor versus Slytherin.’ Announced James unnecessarily. ‘It’s going to be a good one, we can’t be late.’

They went down to breakfast, Peter still bleary-eyed and Remus all but sleep-walking into the Great Hall which, of course, was almost empty so early in the morning. Remus was often tired, especially after he’d been away visiting his mother. Peter very much wanted to know what was wrong with her, but whenever he tried to bring the subject up with James and Sirius they resolutely refused to discuss it, though Peter knew that they were all as curious as each other.

As dawn spread across the enchanted sky of the great hall, James and Sirius speculated about which brooms the team would be flying on through mouthfuls of toast. Usually Peter would have tried to steer the conversation towards something he knew more about, but it was obvious that there would be no distracting them today. Peter worked his way through a plate of eggs and bacon as he watched them debate. The disinterest of himself and Remus had no effect on them, so excited had they become. However, when the Gryffindor team finally arrived in their scarlet robes, James suddenly fell silent and his eyes widened in awe.

‘I’m going to be on the team.’ He said, to no one in particular. His voice was full of certainty and determination. ‘I’m going to make the team next year.’

‘Don’t see why not.’ Sirius said, slurping some orange juice and buttering yet another slice of toast. Remus hummed in agreement. It seemed that he was slowly animating, fuelled by a bowl of porridge doused in honey.

‘Course you will.’ Agreed Peter. He could not conceive of a single thing that James Potter would not be able to do.

The cool November wind nipped at their noses and cheeks as they made their way down to the pitch and into the stands. By this time, the entire school was outside, wrapped in hats and gloves. James and Sirius had donned woollen hats with the golden Gryffindor lion shimmering on the front, though after seeing Peter’s injured expression, James swapped his hat for Peter’s far less dignified one. James shook out the golden tassels happily as they took their seats.

‘I don’t see what the problem is, Pete, I feel fantastic in this thing.’

‘It looks like you’re wearing a colander that’s still full of spaghetti.’ Remus said mildly, and Sirius snorted with laughter. James tossed his head back and winked at Remus. Peter felt a twist on embarrassment in his stomach – why hadn’t he just been a good sport? And why couldn’t Remus have made that joke while Peter was wearing the stupid thing? Then they could have all laughed together. Feeling hurt and irritable but wanting to hide it, Peter turned towards the pitch.

 

\--------------------------------------

 

James’ excitement rose like a fever in his blood as the crowd waited for the match to begin. Finally, an echoing voice sounded and James whipped his head around, scanning the pitch for the source of the noise.

‘Welcome, one and all, to the very first match of this year’s Hogwarts House Championships. Today, Gryffindor and Slytherin face off for the chance to get ahead in the leaderboards. Great visibility today, moderate wind from the West but nothing to affect play I should think. Yes, ladies and gents, it’s all to play for.’

James’ eyes alighted upon a dark-haired boy with curls swept away from his face, a large megaphone held up to his mouth. James recognized him from the Gryffindor common room. He was a fourth year who seemed to be very popular and was always laughing with his large group of friends.

‘Here come the Slytherins,’ A roar erupted from the crowd, ‘remarkably no changes to their team line-up since last year when they were widely criticized for the brutality of their tactics. Let’s hope Gryffindor can beat that out of them, eh?’

‘ _Longbottom_.’ McGonnagall’s warning could be heard clearly through the enhanced megaphone.

‘Just a figure of speech, professor.’ As Longbottom spoke, more cheers rose up as the Gryffindor team appeared. ‘And here come Gryffindor – a few new faces this year, fairest of which is undoubtedly that of Alice Fortescue, not only beautiful but talented too…’

In his peripheral vision, James saw a hand reach from the row behind them to prod Remus’ shoulder. Remus and James both spun around to find Lily Evan’s face, flushed pink from the cold air.

‘Remus, they’re the ones we sat with on the train aren’t they? Frank and Alice – they were in our compartment!’

‘You two were sitting together on the train? James asked, dismayed. His voice came out much more sharply than he expected it to, and Lily Evans had noticed.

‘Yes we were, luckily not all the Gryffindor boys make completely obnoxious company.’

James was riled. ‘Didn’t think it was _Gryffindor_ boys you liked, Evans, or have you come to your senses?’

‘I think avoiding you is the most sensible thing I could do, thanks.’

‘Sure, if prefer your friends to have a stupid nose and no sense of humour.’

‘What, so playing stupid jokes on people you don’t like is funny, is it?’

‘It _is_ , actually.’ James retorted, thinking fondly of the last time he had managed to trip over Severus Snape in the corridor.

‘You’re a real bully, James Potter.’ She said, and then turned to Remus. ‘Sorry for interrupting you, Remus.’

Remus smiled weakly at her, but his gaze flicked to James. He looked apologetic and deeply uncomfortable. James wanted to continue arguing with Lily Evans. He was not a bully – if Snape didn’t want any trouble then maybe he should try looking less greasy for a start. He was in Slytherin, for God’s sake, how much sympathy was James supposed to feel? He was now too absorbed with his irritation and had missed part of the match. Gryffindor had scored a goal. Anger flared in him again. If Evans hadn’t bothered them he’d probably be really enjoying himself. He decided that he had to pretend that she’d never spoken to them, and that she wasn’t still standing behind them.

            Beside him, Sirius was watching the game through a pair of shiny brass binoculars, and suddenly he gripped James’ shoulder.

‘The Slytherin seeker! Look, he’s gone after it, he’s after the snitch!’ Sirius was right. The Slytherin seeker had become a streak of emerald against the cloudy sky, and in front of him sped a tiny glint of gold. The crowd had now noticed and a deafening wave of shouts and cheers rose up. The Gryffindor seeker had finally joined the chase. They wove between the other players, spinning and diving after the snitch as if in an elaborate dance. They were gaining on it, neck and neck, closer and closer until

_Crunch._

A bludger drove into the Slytherin Seeker’s side, and he was knocked off course, causing the Gryffindor seeker to swerve sharply to avoid a crash. The snitch was gone again.

            Frank Longbottom, who had abandoned his commentating duties in favour of cheering for Gryffindor, returned to the megaphone.

‘A close encounter with the snitch come to nothing there, it looks as though Slytherin might be calling for time out to assess the damage to their seeker, Rabastan LeStrange. Yes, it seems that we are having a time out. Current score is ten nil to Gryffindor.’

LeStrange’s ribs turned out not to be broken, and play resumed shortly after this had been established. James adjusted the hat on his head by yanking on the tassels. He was going to enjoy the rest of the match and forget all about Lily Evans. Bully indeed. She barely knew him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)
> 
> Chapter title from '20th Century Boy' by T-Rex

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, more to come soon!  
> Please feel free to leave comments with your thoughts/any constructive criticism, and again apologies for any mistakes I may have missed. 
> 
> Also: Chapter title borrowed from 'Get It On' by T.Rex


End file.
